How to treat idiopathic epilepsy in dogs

Topiramate is a relatively newer drug used in the treatment of epilepsy in humans. Recording how often your dog has seizures is important to track how well their treatment is working and so your vet can alter their treatment if necessary.

If the medication doesnt work and results are not showing management of the condition there are other anticonvulsants that your specialist can try.

How to treat idiopathic epilepsy in dogs. Topiramate is a relatively newer drug used in the treatment of epilepsy in humans. 6 A 2013 study in 10 dogs showed that the drug was generally well tolerated with side effects including ataxia sedation and weight loss. 28 This same study suggested that topiramate may be effective as an add-on medication for the treatment of idiopathic epilepsy in dogs.

Treatment of Epilepsy in Dogs. Several medications exist that may be used to help treat or manage epilepsy in dogs. While there is no cure for this brain disease the symptoms can usually be managed with the administration of these medications.

Special diets and supplements containing things like MCT medium chain triglyceride oil may also be recommended to help manage epilepsy. Phenobarbital and potassium bromide have been used as first-choice sole drugs for long-term treatment of epilepsy in dogs based on their long-standing history widespread availability and low cost. During the past 20 years many newer antiepileptic drugs with fewer side effects and drug interactions have been developed for treatment of human epilepsy.

Many of these same drugs have been determined to be. If the medication doesnt work and results are not showing management of the condition there are other anticonvulsants that your specialist can try. Another time honored medical practice of acupuncture has been shown to be an additional treatment that has been useful in treating idiopathic epilepsy.

To treat a dog with epilepsy you should procure a stress-free environment avoid situations of anxiety and nervousness to reduce the likelihood of your pet suffering seizures. Try not to leave your pet alone too long as separation anxiety is often a powerful trigger. Avoid introducing another pet into the household long journeys or even moving house.

Refractory epilepsy is diagnosed when treatment with two appropriate AEDs has failed and occurs in 30-40 of all dogs with epilepsy 6. It can occasionally be dealt with by the addition of second or third generation drugs such as gabapentin zonisamide levetiracetam or pregabalin 6 in a. Two drugs are licensed for the treatment of primary epilepsy in dogs.

Phenobarbital commonly prescribed under the trade name EpiphenTM and Imepitoin prescribed under the trade name PexionTM. Potassium bromide prescribed under the trade name LibromideTM is licensed for uncontrolled epilepsy in dogs. How often a dog with epilepsy experiences seizures can vary greatly between dogs and over an individual dogs lifetime.

Recording how often your dog has seizures is important to track how well their treatment is working and so your vet can alter their treatment if necessary. Some dogs experience seizures very close together in time eg. More than one in a day seizures that are very long.

Idiopathic epilepsy is a chronic condition characterized by recurrent seizures for which there is no identifiable cause. It is the most common neurologic disorder in the dog. This article discusses the diagnostic evaluation and rational treatment of dogs with recurrent seizures.

Types of seizures client education choice of therapy use of specific drugs therapeutic monitoring and nondrug treatments. A seizure fit is a period of uncontrolled body movements due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Seizures can develop for a number of reasons epilepsy is one of the most common especially in dogs aged between six months and six years old.

You may hear epilepsy called idiopathic epilepsy or true epilepsy. Primary or idiopathic epilepsy is the major cause of recurrent seizures in dogs between 1 and 5 years of age. Since no obvious evidence of brain injury is found in primary epilepsy the probable cause of seizures may be related to a pre-existing or hereditary chemical or functional defect in the brain.

The typical seizure due to primary epilepsy is a one to two minute generalized convulsion. If your dog has idiopathic epilepsy their outlook is good once they have been stabilised on medication anticonvulsants their seizures are likely to stop altogether or become much less severefrequent. Sadly a very small number of cases dont respond to medication.

Anticonvulsants anti-seizure medications are the treatment of choice for epilepsy. There are several commonly used anticonvulsants and once treatment is started it will likely be continued for life. Stopping these medications suddenly can cause seizures.

Proper monitoring of anticonvulsant medication is very important when managing an animal with epilepsy. This allows the veterinarian to make changes to dosing in order to help maximize seizure control and minimize side effects. A lack of adequate monitoring is the.

Conventional treatments used to manage idiopathic epilepsy in dogs are drugs like. Diazepam Valium These drugs are ineffective and they have many side effects. Drug metabolism affects several bodily processes and causes many unwanted signs.

These include changes in your dogs normal emotional state and mood. A study done in 2007 tested Belladonna 200C in 10 dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. Dogs who had Belladonna for 2-7 months showed no episodes during the 2-7 months of follow-up.

Dogs who also had head shaking syndrome took 3 to 4 drops of Cocculus 6C weekly for 3 months. Seizure episodes reduced to 2 or 3 during the first 2 weeks and occasional in the following two weeks.